Excess pressure relieving device



' 1932. A. .1. PENOTE EXCESS PRESSURE RELIEVINCT DEVICE Filed May 12, 1950 2 Sheets-Sheet l Tue? 2 gwwntoz Aueusws J. PENoTr:

Dec. 6, 1932. PENOTE 1,889,810

EXCESS PRESSURE RELIEVING DEVICE Filed May 12, 1930 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 war/4 mm.

AUGUSTUS I NOTI:

%% Maw Patented Dec. 6, 1932 AUGUSTUS J. PElSTOTE, 0F SHAKER HEIGHTS, OHIO ExoEss PRESSURE RELIEVIN'G DEVICE Application filed May 12,

My invention relates to an excess pressure relieving device, and to the same as embodied in a tamper mechanism whose tamper bar is raised by actuating gripping members at 0p posite sides of the bar mounted on parallel shafts, rotated by suitable driving means, while lifting the tamper bar, the gripping members being separated farther apart to release the grippers from the bar and permit the latter to fall. The arrangement providing an alternate lifting and falling of the tamper bar will include vertical arms, pivoted on the above-mentioned parallel shafts, whose upper ends are spaced by suitable compression or extension spring means which may be adjustable to vary the intensity of the gripping action of the members upon the tamper bar. 1

It is an object of my invention to provide an especially suitable spring pressure of the actuating gripping members upon the tamper bar which will not only be positive in its action in driving the bar, but will be of such a nature that the spring may yield to permit an obstruction to pass between the gripper members and the tamper bar without putting excessive pressure on the said parallel shafts to distort them.

It is a purpose of my invention to pivotally mount my gripping members on spacedbearing elements intermediate their ends, the latter being mounted vertically upon suitable bearings pivoted for slight rocking, movement toward and from each other, so that D the gripping members may approach and recede from each other and thereby grip the tamping bar between them. The upper ends of the bearing elements are urged toward each other by a novel spring mechanism the intensity of whose action may be adjusted by the position of certain nuts upon eye bolts attached to said elements at one end and to the-springs at the other. I

My improved structure has therefore a very positive advantage in providing the yielding movement of the bearing elements in their adjusted position, but also has the additional advantage of Varying the intensity of such spring action, as will more clear 1930. Serial No. 451,874. Y

ly appear as the description of the structure proceeds.

Other features of my invention willbe ex.- .plained by reference to the accompanying drawings, showing the preferred embodiment and in which 7 Figure 1 isa side elevation of the rear end of the machine showing the tamper actuat-' ing mechanism; I p a Figure 2 is a plan View of the rearend of the machine, but showing the tamper bar in transverse section. v

Figure 3 is a detail side elevation of the actuatingmechanism for the tamper bar, the latter showing the central portiononly;

Figure 4 is a horizontal transverse section of the adjustment mechanism shown on the plane indicated by the line 4.-4 of Fig. 3, and Y Figure 5 is a vertical section taken on the plane indicated by the line 55 of Fig. 3.

In the drawings 5 represents a vehicle frame comprising in general the base 6, and driven by the tractor belts 7. Upon the base 6 at the rear of the machine, horizontal rearwardly extending support bars or beams 8 serve to support my improved tamper mechanism, in a position to operate the vertical tamper-bar 9 carrying the tamper foot 10, beyond the outline of the said tractor belts. Upon the said beams 8 bearing blocks 21 forwardof the tamper, carry a transverse power shaft 22 upon one end of which is carried a belt pulley 23 towhich driving power is carried by the belt 24 from a suitable power source mounted on the main vehicle frame.

An actuating mechanism for raising the more or less conventional tamper-bar 9 may vided by slot 17, the several lugs 16 being apertured to receive pivot bolts 20 therethrough, so that the posts 14 of each pair will be connected by a yielding turnbuckle device having lugs 18 and 19 pivoted upon the bolts 20 in the slots 17.

The end of the driving shaft'22 opposite the pulley 23 carries a small driving gear 25 which in turn engages the gear 26 on the intermediate shaft 13, the outer shaft 13 carrying the gripper 12, having on its outer end a gear 27 receiving its power from gear 26, whereby the shaft 22 will drive both grippers 12 for the alternately raising bar 9.

As thus far described, it is evident that continuous rotation of the parts 22, 23and 25, and thereby the rotation of the gears 26 and 27 in opposite directions, will drive the segments 12 to raise the bar 9 until the segments are alined with the narrower section 28 of the bar, in which position the segments will no longer grip the bar but will permit the latter to fall to accomplish its tamping operation just as the segments again grip the thicker portion of the bar and thus continuously produce the desired alternate rising and falling operation.

The operative spaced position of the upper ends 15 of the posts is maintained by spring mechanisms between thelugs 16 of such ends 15 on either side, as shown in Fig. 2. Referring to one of these mechanisms only, since those on either side are substantially alike,

. it is to be noted that the tongues 18 and 19 are each formed in T-shape in a vertical plane, the two lugs 29 and 30 forming with the intermediate apertured portions of the tongue, a cross bar, the said lugs being perforated to receive the hooks of the coiled expansion springs 31 while intermediate them will extend an integral threaded bolt structure 32 which is designed to enter an inner threaded sleeve part 33 having one end enlarged at 34 to form a shoulder 35 which is annular, the sleeve 33 telescoping within the larger sleeve 36 which is integral with the tongue 19 entering the slot 17 of the lug '16.

From the above description, it will be seen that the rotation of the inner sleeve 33 about the bolt 32 will adjust the distance between the lugs 18 and 19, though it does not positively prevent the outward movement of the sleeve 33 from the sleeve 36. Other means, including the coils 31, tend to cause such'lugs to approach each other with an adequate force. upon the bolt 32 and will be threaded up against the end 34.

Integral with the outer sleeve 36 and extending vertically above and below the latter and somewhat spaced from the tongue 19, is a strong vertical plate 38 having apertured ends for receiving threaded bolts 39 therethrough, nuts 40 being provided to' hold the A lock nut-37 is threaded said bolts in the desired adjusted position in said plate. The opposite end of the bolts 39 are provided with apertured enlargements 41 to receive the hooks of the springs 31 opposite the ends attached to the lugs 29 and 30 of the cross bar mounted upon the bolt 20. It will therefore be seen that the springs 31 tend to draw the upper ends of the posts 14 toward each other, and that such movement will always be limited by the contact of the open end of the sleeve 36 against the shoulder 35.

The lugs 18 and 19 may separate under strain between the segments 12 by the telescopic movement'of the inner sleeve 33 out from the sleeve 36. The extent to which the shoulder 35may be moved toward the sleeve 36 may be determined by rotative adjustment of sleeve 33 when actuated by the head 34 thereof upon the bolt 32, the nut 37 being locked against the head-34 to hold the parts 33 and 34 against relative movement. ,VVhile the segments 12 are mounted for rotation upon the shafts 13 supported by the posts 14,

the lower ends of such posts are formed into separated lugs 42 providing the space 43 into which an outwardly extending tongue 44 is inserted, the tongue and lugs being apertured to receive the pivot pin 45. The said tongue is integral with the block 11 which rests upon the beam 8. It is to be understood that there are two pairs of posts 14 resting upon four blocks 11 supported upon the two parallel beams 8, the structure of the pin 45 and its bearing as shown in Fig. 5 being duplicated on each beam 8 and at the foot of each post. A belt buckle46 connects an ear 16 of the inner post 14 with the block 21 on the beam 8 at either side of the machine.

The provision of the buckles 46 above described serves to adjust the vertical position i of the posts 14 on both sides, since the farthermost pair of posts will be controlled from the posts having connected belt buckles, through the agency of the nut and bolt connections between the ears 16 of the spaced posts. The particular means for guiding the vertical movement of the tamper bar 9 is not especially concerned by the excess pressure relief mechanism disclosed in detail in this herein disclosed to permit such an obstruci1 tion to pass between the tamping bar and the segmental gripping members without imposing excessive strain on the cross shafts 13 and thereby distorting them, though at the same time maintaining adequate pressure of these gripper segments to lift the tamper 9. For this purpose, the belt buckle 46 is set for an adjustment that will position the adjacent post 14 on either side vertically, and the rearmost posts are adjusted by adjusting the sleeve nuts 33 to the minimum allowable distance that will insure sufficient grip of the segments 12 on the tamper 9 and at the same time act as stops for said segments so that should the tamper 9 be lifted above its safety height the segments will not grip the tamper bar at the undercut 2S sufiiciently to raise the bar farther. The lock nuts 37 are designed to hold the adjusting nuts 33 in position. The eye bolts 39 serve for the adjustment of the springs 31 to provide sufiicient gripping action of the segments upon the tamper.

It will thus be seen that if, an obstruction falls on my tamper mechanism and passes between the segments 12 and the tamper bar 9, it will force the post 14 to swing outward upon its pin 45, under the pressure of the segment which is pivoted upon the shaft 13 of that post, thereby drawing the adjusting nut 33-34 out of the tube or sleeve 36 and at the same time expanding the springs 31. lVhen the obstruction passes the point of contact between the bar 9 and the particular segment engaged, the said springs 31 will pull the outer posts 14 carrying their cross shaft 13 and the segment 12 pivoted thereon back to normal working position against the bar 9, and at the same time move the telescoping parts 33 and 36 together until the end of 36 engages the shoulder 35, or until the segments and bar are in contact.

During such unusual movement of the outer segment 12 and posts 14 placing additional strain upon the coils 31, the inner posts 14 carrying the inner segment 12 will be held in vertical unrelieved position by the belt buckles 46, my improved mechanism yielding to the pressure of obstruction in contact with the actuating parts serve to permit the outer posts 14 only to yield to'such strain without imposing excessive pressure on the segment shaft 13 to fracture any of the parts. It is of especial advantage also that the relation of the parts 38, 39 and 40 permits required adjustment of the strain imposed upon the coils 31 before they will yield to expansion suflicient toallow the particular obstruction to pass between the bar and segment during a gripping action. The adjustment of the nut 3334 upon the bolt 32 will determine the limit of the shortest distance between the lugs 16 of the upper ends of the posts 14. Excess pressure between the gripping parts may therefore be relieved automatically as it occurs, but the amount of such excess pressure that may occur may be adjusted.

Having thus described the invention what I claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patent of the United States is 1. A tamper mechanism, comprising a vertical reciprocable tamper bar, parallel horizontal supporting beams, spaced vertical posts pivoted on said beams in pairs and in planes longitudinal of the beams, said pairs carrying parallel cross shafts each having asegmental gripping member mounted thereon for engaging a face of said bar, adjustable means for rigidly securing one pair of posts and their gripper immovable on their pivots, the other pair carrying another cross shaft with its gripping member movable toward and from the rigid posts, gear means on said cross shafts for driving said gripping members to alternately lift said bar, means for connecting the upper ends of said postsof the two pairs and including telescopingparts to limit the minimum distance between the two gripping members, and-coil spring means to relieve the pressure between the said gripping members and the tamper bar, and actuating means for driving said gear means from a power source.

2. A tamper mechanism, comprising a vertically reciprocable bar, a pair of segmental gripping members for engaging the opposite faces of said bar, parallel horizontal supporting members, pivoted vertical posts mounted upon said supporting members'for carrying the said gripping members for engagement of said bar therebetween, connecting means for urging the upper ends of said posts toward each other comprising a T-bar having an aperture at the intersection of the cross member of the T and a threaded bolt extending from said aperture and pivoted to one pair of posts'and a telescopic device having an inner tube threaded to receive said bolt and an outer tube having an integral plate having apertured ends connected by coil springs with the ends of said cross member for urging the said tubes into telescopic relation, and means for driving said gripping members in opposite direction.

3. A tamper mechanism, comprising a vertical reciprocable bar, parallel supporting beams extending horizontally from a common support, fixed blocks mounted on said beams, spaced vertical posts pivotally supported on said beams in pairs and carrying intermediate their ends parallel cross shafts upon which are carried a pair of segmental gripping members for engaging the opposite faces of said bar, adjustable means connecting the upper ends of a pair of posts carrying one cross shaft, with the said fixed blocks on said beams, for rigidly positioning such pair ofposts vertically, the other pair of posts carrying their cross shaft and gripping member on the opposite side of the bar, the latter pair pivoted for movement toward and from the rigid pair of posts, actuating means on said shafts for driving the said gripping members to reciprocate the bar, and means for connecting the upper ends of the posts of the two pairs together, such connecting means ineluding telescoping parts to limit the minimum space between said upper ends, and yielding means to permit relieving the pressure of the gripping members upon the bar under excessive strain. V

4;. A tamper mechanism, comprising a vertically reciprocable bar, guideways for said bar, said guideways'adapted to permit substantially unlimited vertical movement of said bar and a limited transverse movement, a supporting frame for said guideways spaced vertical posts pivotally supported on said frame in pairs and carrying intermediate their ends parallelcross shafts upon which are carried a pair of segmental gripping members for engaging the opposite faces of said bar, adjustable means for rigidly positioning the pair of posts carrying one gripping member, resilient means for positioning the other of said pair of posts to prevent breakage of the mechanism due to material adhering to the bar and means interconnecting the posts on opposite sides of the bar to limit the movement of the posts towards each other.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand, this 6th day of May, A. D. 1930.

AUGUSTUS J. PENOTE. 

